Career analyst Daniel Pink has written and presented some fantastic content on motivation. The link below is to a video on that topic. A lot of the video relates to behavioral studies on rewards and performance, which are interesting. But it’s Daniel’s conclusions that are really fascinating. He says we are driven by three things:

Autonomy, or the will to be self-directed;
Mastery, or the desire to achieve and be good at what we do; and
Connection, or the desire to be fighting for a noble cause.

What I believe Daniel is really talking about is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, applied to the workplace.

Physiological needs for food, shelter and water – Compensation.
Sociological needs for love and acceptance, or the tribal aspect – Belonging to a family or team.
Safety and security – I personally believe that this is covered in levels 1 and 2. Therefore, I ignore it.
Self-esteem – The need to learn and achieve.
Self-actualization – The need for creativity, self-sufficiency and meaningfulness.

We die if our physiological needs aren’t met in level 1. That typically isn’t an issue for those of us in accounting, or for us as a society in general these days. We also die if our sociological needs aren’t met in level 2. It’s just a slower death. In terms of our work life, if our sociological needs aren’t being met regarding belonging and connection, we are dying a slow work death. We only begin to do well and be successful and at work on levels 4 and 5.

Equate this hierarchy to your job and workplace. What does your job provide? What can you connect with? Is there inspirational leadership? Are you being heard? At the end of the day, do you feel good about what you’ve done for the people that you serve, if not the people that you work for? Are your physiological and sociological needs being met?

If our basic physiological and sociological needs are met at work and we survive, we have the opportunity to move to the highest levels and thrive!

Watch the RSA Animate, adapted from Daniel Pink's talk about motivation: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

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Brian Amann can be reached at 303.921.5310 or send an email.

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